Paul Anthony Kelly, known for his charming portrayal in Love Story, has a surprising past that contrasts with his on-screen persona. During the Tuesday, May 26 episode of TODAY With Jenna & Sheinelle, the actor shared some unexpected details about his younger years.
Kelly, 37, revealed that before he played John F. Kennedy Jr., he was a “total metalhead” during his school days. The hosts, Jenna Bush Hager and Sheinelle Jones, were playing a game of “Fact or Fake?” while Kelly presented true and false statements.
“I went to Catholic school and wore a uniform, but I was a total metalhead, so I had a mohawk and wore goth makeup,” he said.
Bush Hager and Jones immediately sensed he was telling the truth. “We know you’re a metalhead,” Bush Hager remarked, while Jones added, “I think that’s yes because he has tattoos.”
“That is true,” Kelly confirmed.
Bush Hager then wondered if he brought a picture of his mohawk, but Kelly admitted it was a “missed opportunity.”
“You need to post that on your Instagram!” she exclaimed.
“I will, I will,” Kelly insisted, noting he had a “lot of hair” back then, which he called a “good problem to have.”
Kelly’s eclectic music taste was also highlighted in a May 3 interview when he was asked what song would “pump him up” if he were an F1 driver.
“Oh my gosh, it would probably be ‘Long Way Back From H—’ by Danzig,” he replied. “I’m a pretty big metalhead, so that’s my jam.”
However, Kelly faced criticism when he was asked about his favorite Beyoncé song at the Met Gala. Instead of naming a track, he shrugged and said, “I don’t know. I’m a metalhead.”
This response led to backlash from fans who felt he dismissed Beyoncé’s work without much thought.
One X user wrote: “It’s the excessive shoulder shrugs and eye rolls. Like okay miss thing we get it.”
Another commented: “Sometimes it’s just the tone. He looked like he had an attitude. ‘I’m sorry I’m not really an avid consumer of her music, but she seems so sweet’ would have been a good answer instead of that superiority complex he showed by saying he listens to heavy metal.”
A third fan pointed out: “I’m a metalhead too and rarely (if ever) listen to Beyoncé but I still have a favorite song of hers. It’s not that deep.”
Despite the controversy, Kelly remains proud of his musical roots. His journey from a “total metalhead” to a celebrated actor shows how diverse his interests are. Whether it’s classic rock, heavy metal, or even pop culture, Kelly continues to explore and embrace different aspects of his identity.
Fans continue to follow his career, eager to see what new roles and projects he might take on next. For now, his past as a metalhead remains a fascinating part of his story.
